Are all compulsory attributes on the quest to lose fat and build lean muscle mass. Your body burns fat as a whole, not from specific areas.

The human onion

This is a good way to understand how fat loss works from a visual perspective. Rather than disappearing from a particular place, fat comes off layer by layer from the whole body.

It’s like spreading butter

It’s like taking one pound of butter and rubbing it all over your body. It will cover you in a very thin layer and probably won’t change your size much. The same concept applies to why you can’t tell when you’ve lost a pound in weight, and why you can tell when you’ve lost 10 pounds in weight.

This can lead to some seriously demotivating days. But please, DO NOT get demotivated when you look in the mirror throughout this phase.

‘Anything that is watched and tracked will grow!’

Obviously in this case… grow fit!

Some parts of your body hold a higher amount of fat than others. Everyone is different and the way fat is shed varies from person to person. This is why I constantly talk about techniques to make any one workout program work for YOU! No one else.. just you and ONLY you!

It’s why you hear the classic lines such as…

‘I’m doing this right, I’m doing that right.. but whenever I eat, it tends to go to one place in my body?’

Or…

‘I’m getting results butt this is the last place the fat disappears from’ (which was probably the first place they put it on) Excuse the pun btw 😉

The man – Spare tire of fat around the waist

The woman – Big butt smaller chest

These are common dilemmas for each of the sexes when fat loss and building muscle is concerned.

The simple answer to overcome this scenario is to adapt. The first step is understanding YOUR body. Once you do

Nevertheless, here is the likely order that you will lose fat around your body on your quest to building lean muscle mass.

#1 Your Face

#2 Your Arms

However, it is common for women to develop a build up of fat in the upper arms, especially in the tricep area.

#3 Your Chest

I do feel some women’s pain here, because it is common for women to face a reduction in bust size on the fat loss quest. However, men that focusing heavily on weight training need to watch and track the build up of fat in this area. Man boobs are not cool!

#4 Your Abs/ Waist

We all know that everyone has a great set of abs hiding under that annoying layer of fat. But this is one of the key areas where fat will deposit itself.

This affects a lot of men, I know from the sheer amount of conversations I have on a day-to-day basis. Even a high metabolism type like myself suffers from this to some degree. But don’t worry troops… the Bugmeister is in the process of creating a long term solutions for you to help keep the fat at bay from this eye catching area of the body.

Slim woman with natural chubby tummy

This must be highly annoying for women that are naturally slim. You probably already know this if you are a naturally slim woman.

The solution?

Eat healthy!

I’ll be covering this in some detail in the upcoming program, but if you want something to get you started read these posts.

#5 Your Inner Thighs

(Especially the case with women, due to the width of the pelvis)

#6 Your Outer Thighs

#7 Your Lower Back

#8 Your Butt

Women are known to suffer the most here, but this affects everyone. Your glutes are the largest muscle group in your body, yes. But you need fat here other wise sitting down would be no fun! We know by now that you can’t control where one loses fat around the body, but one thing you do not want to do is lose a stack load of fat from your butt! Doing so may lead your butt to sag down towards your thighs, and like Natalia Muntean said in her video interview…

It’s not pretty!

So make sure you do emphasis some of the butt building techniques as described in this post.

One point I do have to make though, is that for the most part, your body shape is what it’s going to be, unless of course we are talking radical body changes. What I mean here is that if your friend has

Naturally broad shoulders

A naturally huge butt

Perfectly proportioned wrists and ankles

And you don’t…

Then you will probably never have it as good as they do. Which is why I place a strong focus on describing how to make workouts, fitness and the bodybuilding lifestyle work for YOU!

There is very little you can do to influence specific fat distribution and vigorously exercising a specific body part will not have any influence on local fat in that area. It can be very frustrating but everybody is different. Stay committed to your training and nutrition goals, because building lean muscle will probably take time. Years in some cases. Understand how YOUR body works, and set achievable goals (Read this post to learn how).

Anyhow, that is the common order of fat loss that most of you will face. And most of you will have to adapt some what to get the body that you desire. But rest assured, I’m working on the above and you will be updated soon.

What has been the order of your fat losing results around your body thus far?

You have now caught the bug which does not aim to disappear. The bug is here to stay (for your benefit of course 😀 )

As a man now in my 20’s and who has been training since my pre teens as an athlete , i’d like to share some of the things i have learned along the way ‘and still learning’. Part of why i like to share my experiences and knowledge is due to the fact that most of the information people read is just that….FACTS!

The thing about facts is that they often neglect the things that affect us in our everyday lives…sometimes unavoidable things like unexpected injuries, illnesses, stress from work, stress from girlfriends, boyfriends…the list goes on. So i intend to fill your brain with real life experiences and how to maintain your workout when faced with hurdles.

The workout

Just like our workouts, it’s always a good thing to switch things up and try something new. In fact, that is exactly what I’m doing now in my current workouts. You see, I can build shoulders, traps, triceps and lats (wings) with frightening ease. Yet no matter how hard I try, I struggle to build my forearms to a size that compliments those other muscle groups (That is… focusing on compound exercises).

This has been in practice since I started my new workout regime as of September 2010 (Progress pics coming soon – And hopefully to add to your own inspirational drive).

Any how, once this happens, it’s a good idea to switch things up.

If you want to build killer forearms (Hence look muscular when wearing ordinary t-shirts) then try these exercises for size.

#1 Barbell reverse curls

This was one of the first exercises that I began to include in my workouts back when I first started out. In fact, this will be the first exercise that include into my current regime.

Target: brachioradialis (Inner forearm muscle)

Execution

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart

Place a barbell in front of you

Bend downwards with your knees and grab the bar with both hands, palms down.

Begin with your arms hanging down, fully extended.

Similar to a biceps Hammer curl, curl the barbell up to a level that is parallel to the floor.

Make sure you keep your elbows locked in place throughout the movement and focus on having your forearms do the work.

Tip:

It’s ok to allow your arms to go forward slightly when your arms are fully flexed. Doing so allows you to release some of the built up tension in your muscle between reps.

#2 Reverse cable curls

Target: brachioradialis (Inner forearm muscle)

This exercise is similar to the reverse barbell curl exercise except that you will be using a short bar attached to a pulley machine. Perform this exercise if you have troubles adapting to the barbell.

Execution

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart

Grab a short bar attached to a pulley machine with both hands, palms down.

Begin with your arms hanging down, fully extended.

Curl the bar up to a level that is parallel to the floor.

Make sure you keep your elbows locked in place throughout the movement and to focus on having your forearms do the work.

#3 Standing plate finger tip raises

These just happen to be good for improving grip strength too. In fact, read this post for the full low down on how to do that.

Nevertheless, it’s that time again. So get ready to add some variety to your workouts. That is, 3 exercises, plus tweaks, so much so that they create an entirely whole new exercise (almost).

The muscle groups

Biceps

Shoulders

Rear delts

#1 Biceps

Now, I do often mention that you should place a higher emphasis on building your triceps rather than your biceps.

Why?

Because biceps are the common go to muscle to build. Especially with newbies. But the fact is, your triceps are a bigger muscle than your biceps, and it is your triceps that will give you the impression of size when you show your muscles off. However, without contradicting myself, you should focus on your biceps too. It’s all about balance, and the tweaked exercise below will help you do just that when it comes to focusing on your biceps.

The exercise – Standing/ seating arm curls

The tweaks

Move your hand grip to the outer far side of the dumbbell and perform seated arm curls on an incline bench

The fight against gravity

When performing normal arm curls, you would hold the dumbbell with your little finger nearer inner weight by your waist. But by simply moving your hand to the far right, you will shift the balance of weight making the inner side of the weight heavier. Which in turn forces your for arms to dip towards you, which of course makes the exercise a lot more difficult to perform, leaving your biceps brachii (The main part of your bicep) with a lot more work to do ( A kind of leverage).

Range of motion

By performing this exercise on an incline bench, you will cause your arms to hang behind your body, allowing for your biceps brachii to be fully extended. This will in turn place a higher emphasis on the head of your bicep brachii, hitting muscle fibers that you may often miss without these added tweaks.

The new exercise = Incline Offset-Thumb Dumbbell Curl

How to perform them

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie face up on an adjustable bench that’s set to a 45-degree angle.

Grasp the dumbbells so that your each thumb touches the outside head of a dumbbell.

Allow your arms to hang straight down, your palms facing out.

Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can. Pause, then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.

#2 Shoulders

Shoulders, shoulders, shoulders. Yes I love shoulders. You seasoned readers would already know that. But why do I love them so much? Well, your shoulders will be the first thing that people will see in regards to your physique. It will be your shoulders that will determine whether someone thinks you workout, or not! And if you are a tall beam pole like myself, then you will need a hot pair of shoulders. However, your shoulders are also the most delicate parts of your body that are usually first to be affected when it comes to bodybuilding injuries. And the exercise tweaks below will help you prevent shoulder injuries AND increases exercise performance while at the same time working your abs.

The exercise – Lateral raises

The tweaks

Tilt your palms backwards at the peak of the movement.

Shoulder exercise injury prevention (Prevent shoulder impingement)

Most people that perform the lateral raise will do so by tilting their palms forward at the peak of the movement. This does indeed make for a more challenging exercise, yes. However, performing the exercise this way may well lead to future injuries. And trust me, you really do not want to suffer from shoulder injuries. Look after those balls and sockets, because one bad injury could put you out for good. That is eternally skinny! :O

So tilt your palms back when you raise your arms up. This makes for a better long term solution when performing this exercise.

Extra tweak

Hold both dumbbells in your hands, raise one arm up and keep it raised. Then perform the exercise with the other arm, followed by the arm that you have held up. So it’s, 1,2… 1,2… 1,2. This places an extra emphasis on the shoulders.

Extra tweak

Perform the exercise with only one dumbbell in your hand. That is, one arm at a time. Doing so will allow your to focus on good exercise form while at the same time stabilizing your core and working your abs.

Extra tweak

Perform the exercise while holding on to a piece of gym apparatus and placing your body into an incline position. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand and perform the exercise one arm at a time. Doing so will allow you to hit your shoulders deep at the peak of the movement

The new exercise = Super duper lateral raises

#3 Rear delts

There are actually 3 sections that make up your shoulder muscles.

Anterior

Posterior

Lateral

And it’s quite a common thing to skip or miss out on working your rear delts.

Why should you worry about this?

Because your front delts will pull you chest forward, which will make you look like a hunch back. Not cool. The ultimate physique is what this website will help you build, and help you build that it will. So what you must do is place a focus on working your rear delts. So it’s Lat pull downs, pull ups, rows and…

The exercise – Bent-over rear-deltoid flyes

How to perform them

Stand with your knees unlocked and your back slightly arched

hold a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).

Bend your body at the waist until your back is almost parallel to the floor

Raise your arms straight out to the sides, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.

Pause when your arms are parallel to the floor

Lower the weights

Repeat.

The new exercise = There isn’t one. Just supreme shoulder domination

There are of course many other exercise tweaks out there. And they do indeed make difference in regards to performance and gains in your workouts. I will of course reveal others over time, but for now, try these out and get back to me after you have tried them. And of course, leave your thoughts and results in the comments below.

With so many different supplements available both on-line and in the shops today, it can be confusing trying to find the right bodybuilding supplements as well as using them in the most effective way. To truly optimize the dietary impact, an individual assessment with a sports nutritionist is recommended but there are some bodybuilding supplements, including a protein powder, which would benefit every bodybuilder, from novice through to seasoned pro.

Protein is one of the frequently mentioned bodybuilding supplements and vital for building lean muscle mass. It is almost impossible to consume the amount of protein required naturally without the need for additional supplements. One of the least expensive supplements available and with proven effectiveness, protein powder is an essential in a bodybuilder’s toolkit. Two of the best available are Myofusion by Gaspari, this powder uses a combination of casein and whey proteins to ensure blood amino acid levels remain higher for longer, while Syntha-6 by BSN tastes great and can be used as a meal replacement also. Protein can be consumed as a drink when mixed with carbohydrate. This is the perfect combination to take onboard immediately after a training session as the amino acids in the drink provide the necessary building blocks and the carbohydrates increase insulin levels which pushes the nutrients out into the muscle, thereby allowing generation of new cells and ultimately muscle growth. Sipping a carbohydrate-loaded drink during a work-out is also highly recommended as it allows adaption to heavy loading during training. Serious athletes in all disciplines have to pay close attention to their diet and ensure that 5-7 moderate sized meals are consumed every day, with each meal carefully balanced. A protein powder drink can be used to replace some of the daily meals, allowing the nutritional stability to be maintained whilst on the move.

In order to bulk up but strip away every last inch of fatty mass, thermogenic bodybuilding supplements are one of the biggest innovations to hit the market in the last 10 years. Quite literally a fat-burning pill and often combining bitter orange, caffeine and aspirin, thermogenics are widely believed to shift that last bit of muscle-disguising fat that won’t budge with diet and training alone. However, in order to maximise the benefits of any thermogenic pill, a cycling routine must be established. Taking thermogenics consistently without a break between courses will, over time, dramatically reduce the effect and could cause metabolic difficulties; one of the best for example is Adipoxil by Iforce Nutrition which should be taken 3 to 4 times a day and needs to be cycled every 4 to 8 weeks. The only exception to this rule is if the thermogenics are not taken daily, but more sparingly on just a couple of days per week. If used in this way, there are no risks to using them all year round.

Of course, supplements are not the only way to ensure that the body is in tip-top condition. There are many foods which have been labelled ‘superfoods’ and warrant inclusion in any diet. Tomatoes are well known for their powerful anti-oxidant properties which appear to become enhanced further once heated. Flaxseeds are another group of foods which should regularly be consumed, with grinding of the seeds best for rapid absorption. Flaxseeds can also be added to a protein powder to increase the nutritional benefits of the drink further. Alternative ways to incorporate them into the diet include soups, salads and cereals. Green foods including spirulina, wheat grass and chlorella are another great nutritional source, containing higher amounts of protein than red meat when compared pound for pound as well as being very high in vitamins and minerals.

Sorry for the capitals, but I just had to emphasis today’s energy levels. I’ve just had an intense workout and I still have some energy to share. However,this is not how you should feel for the ‘majority’ of your workouts. If you do feel this way, you probably aren’t working out hard enough. Or maybe you’ve just broken your previous strength/ endurance records.

Any how, it’s not often that I stop and talk to each of you directly, but I think it’s about that time, seeing as I’ve in asking questions around some other communities (Namely Facebook – Add me if you haven’t done so already).

So… here goes. Tell me…

A workout routine or ‘proven’ fitness tip that ‘didn’t’ work for you?

What would you like me to blog more about?

Is there anything that bugs you about the site at present (excuse the pun)?

Your least favorite exercise?

Your most favorite exercise?

And of course, any other random things you might want to mention. I guess you could call this ‘bonding time’, like what teachers do with a new class of students 😉

Yes… but that’s ok, as long as you have lived it to the max, made it eventful and made the best use of your time! That’s right… don’t waste it… it’s valuable and you can’t buy it back once it’s gone. So if you have any goals or intend to become the person you are meant to be, inside and outside of fitness, then do it… do it now, as guest interviewee Sara Solomon would like to say.

Any how, I like to practice what I preach here on Stay-Fit Bug and you may turn around and ask me…

Shaun… how have you lived 2010 to the max and made it eventful?

Well, since ones past actions defines who a person really is, let’s now look back at life at Stay-Fit Bug in 2010 and what events lightened up the internet world.

#1 15 Things Successful Bodybuilders And Successful Entrepreneurs Have In Common

I got the idea for this post after reading an article on an entrepreneurial website. After a few days, I had put together various sources of material. A day later and some ‘step out of the comfort zone’ brainstorming and writing, I come up with..

And it was throughout the month of March that the Internet world let me know that they enjoyed it. Receiving 2000 visits within the first 45 minutes of ‘really’ putting it out there. Nevertheless, that was a time where some new individuals caught wind of Stay-Fit Bugs existence.

#2 The introduction of the bodybuilding resources page

It was around this time where I began to focus on quality rather than quantity, in regards to the information I was putting out throughout the site. This in turn resulted in the creation of a page that focused on ‘exactly’ the things you will need that will aid you on your bodybuilding journey. The categories included…

Protein supplements

Creatine Supplements

Multivitamins

Weight training equipment (Home and gym)

Books and ebooks

So, a page full of the things you ‘need’, nothing more, nothing less (But with options). This seemed to be a good decision as many have requested to be featured on that page and many more have linked to it.

#3 Video interviews

Video on the web is no longer confined to the likes of Youtube anymore. Video is going pro on the web and is being used in more ways than one. Long gone are the days of watching funny videos ‘only’.

With that being the case, I decided to take text based interviews to the big screen with those who are making dents in the world of bodybuilding and fitness. And so far the feedback has been great. I guess that’s what can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone, which is of course something that I constantly remind you to keep practicing.

Although the feedback has been good, and with the fitness world being entertained with myself as the host, improvements are still needed, and they will come. But for now, it’s a good foundation for even better things to come.

#4 The Facebook Community and Getting Connected

You become what you think about!

That statement couldn’t have been any truer this year. With my ever evolving and changing mindset, along with a few popular blog posts, it was only a matter of time before my personal Facebook profile got taken over by fitness and bodybuilding and all those individuals who embrace and live the lifestyle. As of today, my personal profile is now an official Stay-Fit Bug/Personal profile. So feel free to join the ride. Don’t worry, the bug won’t bite 😛

#5 Popular blog posts

OK, before I list the popular posts of 2010, we have to first talk about the most popular post thus far, which was entirely unexpected. but not completely suprising.

I spent about 3 days creating this post and I published it on a Monday evening, by which time I was completely shattered… so I naturally nodded off and knocked out for the night.

Little did I know, that while I was living life in the land of nod, that post was being spread all over Facebook like wild fire. I woke up to realize this, noticing that it had been viewed thousands upon thousands of times.

It was a heated few days over in several forums and popular profiles around the web, with arguments of who I should/shouldn’t have included. Nevertheless, it was a highlight in the life of Stay-Fit Bug in 2010.

There were some other highlights in 2010, most of which I spoke of here. But for now, lets look forward to 2011, because I’m stepping outside my comfort zone once more, and only time will tell what the end result will be.

Any how, if you have been following the recent emails, you will know that I gave away a few bonuses over the past several weeks. If you missed out on what those were, then you can back track and view those emails here in the email archive.

However, today will be the final bonus of the year, and I’ll be leaving it up until the 31st of December.

That is…

But for you newer readers to the site, let me tell you the story behind the creation of both of those ebooks.

#1 The Unique Bodyweight Exercise ebook (Now version 3.0)

Now, if you have read the about us page, you would know that I started Stay-Fit Bug in July of 2009. A time which I can now mark as my resurgence into the bodybuilding and fitness world after an unexpected 2 year hiatus.

Several posts in and 2 months of posting, I started to notice a trend and some strong attention to certain topics. The first was the need to want to build a 6 pac. The 2nd was bodyweight exercises. Which actually inspired me to write two ebooks, both of which you will now be familiar with.

Build a 6 pac: From flab to flat

And

The Unique Bodyweight Exercise ebook

The first I gave away for FREE and the 2nd I put a price on.

Why ‘Unique’ exercises?

Well, first of all, bodyweight exercises are the undisputed king of realizing your ‘true’ strength. And secondly, Stay-Fit Bug is all about teaching you how to take your gains to the next level. And the best way to do that is to train insane, switch things up and make your muscles scream at a pitch that they did not think possible. Therefore, the introduction to exercises that will help you do just that.

Fast forward to version 3.0 (released September 2010) and the ebook has indeed been upgraded (At no cost to existing ebook owners). And fast forwarding to Q1 2011 will see an even bigger update in version 4.0. That will indeed be existing. Sheesh, I’m even getting excited about creating it (Let’s just say,lights, camera, action! Stepping out of my comfort zone – Something you should all be doing on a regular basis).

Nevertheless, the current version of this ebook (And it’s own current bonuses) is now 1 of 2 Christmas bonuses. Oh, and did I mention that version 4.0 will be completely FREE to those who snatch this up now! 🙂

Q1 2011 might seem like a long time away, but I must inform you that those who end up on the Unique Bodyweight exercise mailing list receive ‘different’ ‘FREE’ bonuses to those on the regular mailing list. So you won’t have to worry about being left dry for the next few months.

Either way, that’s the story of how the Unique Bodyweight Exercise ebook came to existence.

#2 The Guide To Necessary Supplementation

As of May 2010, I decided to get active with my personal Facebook account (Add me here if you haven’t done so already) and invite everyone to my profile. Shortly after, my profile became a page for everything Stay-Fit Bugg/Fitness/ Bodybuilding/Network related.

Does that bother me?

No!

Because I’m an open book, I don’t have much to hide. Go on… dive into my past photos already. 🙂

Any how, it wasn’t long until I started to get bombarded with fitness related questions, and one of the questions I got asked daily is…

‘Shaun, which supplements should I take’???

Now, I’m not one to force bodybuilding supplements down someones throat just to earn a quick buck. That’s just not my style.

So I decided to write the guide to necessary supplementation, which is just a No B.S guide to what you should be supplementing your body with. That is, natural foods AND bodybuilding supplements. That’s all there is too it. Nothing more, nothing less!

Now, that’s the story telling out of the way.

However, I think you need to have a little taste of what these ebooks have to offer. Something extra than just me babbling along here on this post. Actions do indeed speak louder than words, so here is…

Remember, this bonus page will stay live and active until 31st of December, so you should at least be able to stay fit at home for the several days of festive Christmas activity. But I’d say grab it now, because you’ll probably forget by then, as you’ll be completely zoned out in Xmas and New years eve-ism.

And remember, binge, but don’t OVERRRR binge. That… is something you will regret come January (At you Abdominal builders).

Which has of course lead to some new readers here at Stay-Fit Bug. Which means a whole year of content that has been missed. Now If I was a new reader here, I know for sure that I wouldn’t find the time to go through all of those old posts. So to make things a little easier for all those that are new here, I’ve decided to give you the link for the anniversay post, which contains a list of the best posts for each of the past 14 months. So without further a do…

I decided to jump back on video today after a short Christmas hiatus. Today I talk about two things that you should be avoiding and the two things that you should be doing instead. And then one other thing. Watch below to find out what that other thing is.